Black And White
by Dmarx
Summary: For Kate Beckett, it's one and done. For Rick Castle, third time is the charm. And today is the start of their forever. Together.


_Summary: For Kate Beckett, it's one and done. For Rick Castle, third time is the charm. And today is the start of their forever. Together._

_Author's Note: I have to admit, I never thought I'd be writing this scene. I've never taken any of my stories this far, mainly because it's sometimes hard for me to imagine Caskett actually getting married. But the closer they get on the show, the more I can see it, I guess you could say, so I decided to try my hand at writing their wedding. It's very fluffy, of course...you have been warned._

_Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, this would happen in the next episode. Somehow, I don't think that's very likely. Also, I lay no claim to the songs that I mention in this story._

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><p><strong>Black and White<strong>

**September, 2013**

A gentle breeze cascaded through the late summer air, blowing in from the ocean and lightly caressing the faces of the small gathering of people as they sat in anticipation. Standing before them on the beach, against the backdrop of the water, were five people; Castle, Ryan, Esposito, Lanie, and Madison.

Castle was wearing a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, complete with a dark green vest and black bowtie. His hair was flopping over his forehead slightly, just like it always did. His entire body was almost trembling with excitement and nerves as he stood at the altar, his eyes focused intently at the end of the aisle.

Ryan and Esposito stood behind him, both looking sharp in tuxedos of their own, sharing the honor of best man. Across from them, behind where Kate would soon be standing, were Lanie and Madison, both wearing halter-style dark green dresses that came to just below the knee, their feet bare. Their hair was down and curled in gentle waves framing their faces.

Seated in the front row were Martha and Alexis along with a couple of Kate's cousins and aunts and uncles. There was an empty chair next to the aisle, in honor of her mother. Castle knew that all of this had been very difficult for Kate, planning a wedding without her mother there to help her, knowing that she was getting married and her mother would not be there to see it. But, empty chair or not, Castle knew that Johanna was there in spirit, and that, wherever she was, she would be incredibly proud of her daughter.

As that thought passed through his mind, the music suddenly changed, Pachelbel's Canon flowing from the speakers as Kate appeared. The melody wove through the late afternoon air as the crowd rose to their feet, entranced, but Castle saw and heard none of it. In that moment, the only thing that mattered was Kate.

Her dress was a traditional white, long and flowing. It was strapless, the bodice adorned with delicate beading that faded as it traveled down the dress. The fabric was fitted to her waist and from there it flared out and down to the floor, leaving a modest train trailing behind her. She had opted not to wear a veil, but there were small white flowers delicately woven into her hair, which was pulled half-way back, a few wavy strands framing her face while the rest were cascading over her shoulders and down her back.

Aside from a pair of earrings that Martha had insisted that she borrow, the only jewelry Kate wore was her mother's ring, the long chain draped around her neck, the ring nestled between her breasts. She no longer wore it every day, not since her shooting, since she had made the decision to not be defined by her mother's murder, but it seemed right to everyone involved that her mother should be with her today.

As she made her way down the aisle, though, Castle would not have cared if she was wearing a paper bag; she was arm in arm with her father, walking towards him, about to marry him, and nothing could have made him happier.

Their eyes met and locked, and as she neared, everything else faded away. A beautiful smile split her face and he grinned as well, not even bothering to try to suppress his giddy happiness. He was sure she would make fun of him later for being such a girl, for crying (he was certain he would), but Castle did not care. He was about to marry Kate Beckett.

At long last, she reached the end of the aisle. Her father planted a kiss on her cheek and shook Castle's hand, and as she watched him take his own seat, Kate swore she saw him wipe away a tear.

She felt a gentle tug on her hand and turned to find her almost-husband smiling at her. She took a step closer to him and laced their other hands together. He raised her left hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss where, in a few minutes, there would be not one, but two rings adorning her finger.

Kate's eyes locked with his and the intensity of his gaze was unlike anything she had ever seen before; it was lust, adoration, respect, happiness, passion, fire, excitement, and love all mixed together, and the raw honesty of it all nearly knocked the wind out of her.

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the moment, and Kate was not sure how long they would have stayed frozen there had they not been interrupted.

They finally tore their eyes from each other and turned to the officiator, who also happened to be Kate's uncle, Michael Beckett, the Justice of the Peace from her father's hometown.

He was smirking in a very knowing way and winked at Kate when she finally managed to look at him.

"Dearly beloved," he began, looking out over the small crowd and taking in all the smiling faces, the teary eyes. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Richard Edgar Castle and Katherine Elizabeth Beckett in holy matrimony."

He continued to speak, but Castle and Kate heard none of it. They were lost in each other's eyes, smiling so broadly that the muscles of their faces would probably be sore tomorrow, completely oblivious to the world around them. It was not until Michael said Castle's name that either of them came back to the present.

"Rick, if you will now say your vows."

Castle forced himself to focus, to comprehend what Michael was saying. Vows. Right, their vows. Wow, were they already that far through the ceremony? Everything had been a blur.

They had decided to write their own vows, something Castle had never done before, but after all they had been through together, the traditional words just did not seem like enough; especially when there were certain words that meant so much more to them than any others. So, for the last month, they had spent hours agonizing over each word. They did not share with each other what they had written, but they did write a couple sentences together so that both vows would end the same way.

Now, Castle just hoped that he could still remember the words over the whirlwind of emotions that were fogging his brain and making him feel like his heart was about to explode with happiness.

He squeezed her hands tighter and began, looking her straight in the eyes.

"I spent so much time writing this in my head, Kate, trying to figure out the perfect thing to say, but I never found the right words, and maybe that's because there aren't any. My words brought us together, in more ways than one, but since then, it's been everything else that has defined our relationship. Body language, gentle touches, stolen glances. I look in your eyes and what I see there is something that cannot be fully captured with words alone."

A tear rolled down her cheek and Castle untangled their fingers to reach out and capture it with his thumb. She blinked, hard, trying to hold back more of them, but when her eyes reopened, they were glistening. Castle rejoined their hands before continuing.

"Maybe that's why the best stories are not always those we tell, or those we read in books. Sometimes, the best stories are the ones we see unfold right before our eyes. Just like ours has, just like it will continue to do. I promise to be by your side for whatever comes our way, through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, for the rest of our lives. I love you, Kate." He slid the two shining rings onto her finger. "Always."

A collective "awww" rippled through the audience, a small crowd of their closest friends and coworkers, but neither bride nor groom noticed; they were too wrapped up in each other.

"Katie?" Michael prompted.

She wiped a couple more tears from her cheeks before beginning, hoping that her voice would still work past the lump in her throat.

"Rick, you have been my rock for the last five years, my partner, my best friend, the one who stood beside me even when I didn't want you to, and I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am for that. I know this is just the beginning of our story, and I have no idea where we are headed, but I do know that we will be together every step of the way. So thank you for supporting me and for believing in me, even when I didn't believe in myself, and I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to find a way to show you how much you mean to me. No matter what happens, I promise to be by your side for whatever comes our way, through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, for the rest of our lives."

She slid the ring onto his finger with trembling hands. "I love you, Rick. Always."

This time, it was Castle's turn to choke up and he reached up to swipe at the lone tear that escaped onto his cheek.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I know pronounce you husband and wife. Rick, you may kiss the bride."

He had barely finished his sentence before Castle's lips were on Kate's, gentle and loving, full of excitement and happiness and barely restrained desire. Her hands rested on his chest and his hugged her waist, pulling her into him.

They could have stayed there forever, frozen in time, but the applause of the crowd reminded them that there were people watching and that they should probably keep this kiss decent.

With one last soft peck, Castle pulled away and they both turned to the crowd, arm in arm, smiles on their faces and tears of joy prickling their eyes.

"I love you," Castle said softly as they made their way back down the aisle, the sand warm beneath their bare feet.

She stretched up on tiptoe as they walked and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I love you, too."

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><p>An hour and probably about a thousand photographs later, bride, groom, and the wedding party made their way to the reception. Not much about their wedding had been overly traditional, but Kate had been insistent that the first time Castle saw her in her dress would be as she walked down the aisle, so they had held off on taking wedding pictures until after the ceremony.<p>

Now, though, Kate was starving. She had been far too nervous to eat anything for most of the day, but as they made their way back to the original location, which had been transformed into a venue for dinner and dancing, she was craving the delicious meal they had planned.

When she would look back on this day, the next hour or so was a blur to Kate. She remembered hugging what must have been everyone in attendance. She remembered the meal being wonderful and she recalled cutting the cake with Castle. Madison had caught the bouquet and Esposito the garter.

But the one thing she would never forget was the first dance she had shared with her husband. They had debated using 'their song' but ultimately decided on something much slower for the first dance. However, _You Talk Too Much_ was on the playlist for the evening.

The chairs and tables had been pushed aside slightly and Kate and Castle stepped into the open area. As the music started, Kate wrapped her arms around her husband and his came to rest on the small of her back, holding her to him as they moved together.

Later, Castle would argue that she kissed him first, but really, neither could remember who had closed the distance. All they knew was that the kiss they had shared had been on the borderline of what was appropriate when their coworkers and families were watching.

Kate could not have cared less, though, and as they separated, she rested her forehead against his, their noses brushing.

Castle kissed her again, softly. "You look so incredibly beautiful," he said against her lips. "You're just..." he kissed her again, "amazing, Kate."

She lifted onto her toes slightly to whisper in his ear. "You're looking pretty good yourself, Mr. Castle."

He squeezed her tighter and buried his nose in her neck. "You better hope so," he said against her skin.

She raised an eyebrow, though he could not see it. "Oh? And why is that?"

He placed a kiss on the sensitive skin behind her ear and felt a shiver race down her spine. "Because you're stuck with me forever, _Mrs. Castle_."

Kate felt a jolt of pleasure race through her at the way he said her name. They had agreed that she would not legally change her name; however, Castle had insisted that he was still going to call her Mrs. Castle, and she had to admit, she kind of liked it. A lot.

She smiled against his skin, her teeth scraping the flesh of his neck, and she felt more than heard his response.

"God, Kate," he nearly groaned, feeling himself go weak in the knees.

She hugged him tighter and pulled her hips into contact with his. She was playing with fire, and she knew it, but she could not help herself. The desire to feel him, all of him, pressed against her was overwhelming.

Castle sucked in an unsteady breath and pressed his eyes tightly closed, forcing himself to maintain control. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the night wrapped up in bed with his wife, but this was their wedding reception, and as much as he wanted her, he also wanted her to enjoy the festivities.

The song came to a close and they untangled themselves, but not before Kate dropped a whispered 'I love you' in her husband's ear. Castle pulled her back in for a short but powerful kiss, leaving her reeling as she made her way over to her father for the second dance.

Castle, meanwhile, took a deep breath to clear his head before Alexis joined him for the customary father-daughter dance.

Castle danced with his mother once and Lanie stole Kate away from him for one dance as well, but aside from that, they spent the evening wrapped in each other's arms, eyes glued to each other, stealing kisses as often as they could.

By the time the guests made their way back to the city, it was closing in on ten o'clock and a slight chill had settled in. Kate shivered slightly and Castle grabbed his tux jacket from the back of a chair and draped it over her shoulders. He followed it with his arm and, after bidding a final good night to his mother, daughter, and Jim, who were packing up to head back to the city, he pulled Kate into his side and leisurely guided her towards the beach house.

The moment they stepped inside, though, the entire atmosphere changed. Kate found herself pressed up against the door the moment it closed as Castle kissed her hotly, his tongue already begging for entrance. Kate parted her lips and darted her tongue out to tangle with his as their lips clashed, hard. His body was firm against her chest, his lips insistent over hers, and as he broke the kiss to trail his mouth across her jaw and down her neck, Kate felt her knees giving out.

"Oh!" she gasped as his teeth scraped over her pulse point.

"I want you so badly," Castle managed, punctuating each word with a kiss on her neck.

As he kissed his way down and across her collarbone, she felt his hands working the back of her dress, trying, and failing, to loosen the lacing.

"Rick," she said, his name sounding more like a moan.

He sucked on the hollow above her clavicle.

"Rick," she said, more forcefully this time.

He lifted his head in sudden awareness. "Huh?"

Exercising every last bit of self-restraint she possessed, she pushed off the door and travelled the familiar path to their bedroom.

"I...what...where are you...?" he stammered as he forced his legs to move so he could catch up with her.

She entered the room and turned around. "Let's get me out of this dress without you tearing it off of me." Because as amazing at that sounded, Kate really wanted to save the dress forever, and she did not want it to bear any signs of the events that were about to transpire.

Castle pouted. "You take all the fun out of it."

She reached around to her back to loosen the dress and demurely slipped out of it.

"Oh, trust me," she said as she sauntered across the room to drape it safely over a chair, clad only in a pair of lacy black panties. "We'll still have plenty of fun tonight."

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><p><strong>THE END<strong>

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><p><em>Mwahahaha...yes, I'm evil for ending it right there...but I'm pretty sure your imaginations can write what happens next. And I wanted to keep this T-rated. <em>

_If anyone is curious about the wedding/bridesmaids dresses, let me know and I'll send you the link._

_Until next time!_


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